WO 2007/104124 discloses a teat location system for automated milking systems comprising a sensor housing mounted on a robot arm for sensing the location and attitude of teats on an udder. The output of the sensor is used to control the application of the automated milking apparatus that includes milking cups that are also mounted on the robot arm. The milking apparatus is adapted to receive instructions characterizing the location of the teats, to move the robot arm to such location so as to engage the milking cups onto the teats.
The sensor housing includes a modulated light source for radiating throughout the field of view that encompasses the udder, the teats and the hind legs of the animal. Further, the sensor housing includes a camera, control, image capture and readout electronics and suitable optics. The camera consists of a two-dimensional array of pixels, each of which can report time of flight data synchronized to the light source, as well as intensity.